This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle.
Advances in battery technology are expected to provide reliable power sources for electrically operated passenger vehicles. One requirement for such vehicles is the provision of battery recharging apparatus. The recharging of a vehicle""s battery when parked at the owner""s home may be achieved in a relatively straight forward manner. However, the widespread use of battery powered vehicles necessitates that recharging also be accomplished at other locations. By example, it may often be required to recharge a vehicle""s battery while parked at a remote location, such as an office building, factory, hotel, shopping center, airport, or train station. To accomplish recharging of the vehicle""s battery at a remote location there must also be provided a reliable and accurate method of accounting for the power consumed in recharging the battery.
In addition, it can be useful to provide a mechanism to enable an information flow between an occupant of the vehicle and an external source or recipient of information, whether the vehicle be battery powered or powered by a conventional internal combustion engine. For example, it would be beneficial to enable information representing personal messages, advertisements (solicited or unsolicited), road and weather conditions, etc., to be entered into the vehicle for display to an occupant of the vehicle.
The following U.S. Patents disclose various types of battery charging systems: U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,617, issued on Apr. 13, 1993, entitled xe2x80x9cCharging Station For Electric Vehiclesxe2x80x9d by Nor; U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,802, issued on Sep. 17, 1991, entitled xe2x80x9cCharging System For A Vehiclexe2x80x9d by Mintus et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,418, issued on Jul. 30, 1985, entitled xe2x80x9cMicroprocessor Electric Vehicle Charging and Parking Meter System Structure And Methodxe2x80x9d by Meese et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,210, issued on May 10, 1983, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus And Method For Recharging An Energy Storage Devicexe2x80x9d by Wilkinson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,472, issued on Aug. 31, 1982, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus And Method For Charging A Battery In A Vehiclexe2x80x9d by Lemelson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,644, issued on Jan. 5, 1982, entitled xe2x80x9cElectric Vehicle Controller Adapted For Charge Station Connectionxe2x80x9d by Reimers et al.
The following two U.S. Patents disclose systems for charging a battery within a vehicle without physically contacting the vehicle: U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,319, issued on Oct. 20, 1992, entitled xe2x80x9cContactless Battery Charging Systemxe2x80x9d by Klontz et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,328, issued on Jan. 24, 1989, entitled xe2x80x9cInductive Power Coupling With Constant Voltage Outputxe2x80x9d by Bolger et al.
The following U.S. Patents disclose various systems for accounting for parking fees: U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,520, issued Mar. 26, 1991, entitled xe2x80x9cTime Accounting System In Particular For Parking Subject To Chargexe2x80x9d by Grieu et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,097, issued Nov. 14, 1989, entitled xe2x80x9cPark Card System For Electronic Parking Meterxe2x80x9d by Speas; U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,540, issued on Oct. 24, 1989, entitled xe2x80x9cSystem For Controlling Metered Parkingxe2x80x9d by Berthon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,971, issued on Aug. 29, 1989 entitled xe2x80x9cParking Meters Capable of Being Operated Without Monetary Coinsxe2x80x9d by Chan; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,895, issued on Nov. 6, 1990, entitled xe2x80x9cParameter Control System For Electronic Parking Meterxe2x80x9d by Speas.
It is one object of this invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for entering a consumable energy source into a vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide methods and apparatus for selectively inputting messages to a vehicle as a function of user specific information, such as accounting-related indicia, that is electronically maintained within the vehicle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a vehicle battery charging system wherein user specific information is electronically maintained within the vehicle, and wherein messages are selected for inputting to the vehicle from a battery recharging station as a function of the user specific information.
It is another object of this invention to provide a vehicle refueling system wherein user specific information is electronically maintained within the vehicle, and wherein messages are selected for inputting to the vehicle from a refueling station as a function of the user specific information.
A method is disclosed for providing information to a user of a fuel pump. The method includes steps of: (A) performing an initial step of bidirectionally coupling a microprocessor of the fuel pump to a communications network, the communications network having a plurality of remote computers bidirectionally coupled thereto; (B) entering a user""s information request into the microprocessor of the fuel pump; (C) transmitting data representing the information request from the microprocessor of the fuel pump to the communications network; (E) directing the data representing the request to a remote computer over the communications network; (F) fulfilling the information request with the remote computer and transmitting the requested information back to the microprocessor of the fuel pump over the communication network; and (G) using an output device of the fuel pump, presenting the requested information to the user in a human perceptible format. Optional steps include (H) transmitting a promotional message to the microprocessor of the fuel pump over the communications network; and (I) using the output device of the fuel pump, presenting the promotional message to the user in a human perceptible format. The step of presenting the requested information to the user presents at least one of: information concerning a restaurant, a lodging, or a recreational area; weather information; road conditions; traffic conditions; information concerning a merchant or a local event; information concerning a news item; or information concerning a security. The step of presenting can also present a message to the user that was previously stored in the remote computer that fulfilled the information request. A fuel pump that operates in accordance with the method is also disclosed.